Momma Left Her Babies Behind

My husband and I went away for the weekend. We decided to spend some well deserved time relaxing with family in Beaver Creek (Avon) Colorado. I was so excited I had our bags packed two days in advance. My parents came over twice a day to check on the mutt and water my plants. I was sure everything was taken care of but I came home to proof that only mama knows best how to care for that which she loves.

We had some great views while mountain biking.

When I left I had 5/6 Radishes sprouted and healthy looking, 1/4 of the carrots sprouted, and 1/3 of my spinach going. I came back to 2 dead Radishes and a worm bin that had been over watered somehow. I guess this Environmentally friendly stuff isn't as easy for my parents as it is for me. I could let it aggravate me but I'll just start a few extra plants to compensate on the next round. I did get free dog sitting and plant watering after all.

Worm bin before I left... nearly no gnats.

My instructions about the worm bin were to sprinkle the top with a few ounces of water every morning and to throw extra soil on top if there seemed to be a lot of gnats. There was no extra soil and the fruit flies were having a hay day when I got back. It only took me about 2 days to curb the flies by tossing extra soil on top and I still have yet to water the worms as the bin is recovering from the somehow excessive watering. I put a fan near the bin to keep constant air flow around it and help even out the moisture to the correct level. My worms are fine, it's just that happy balance I had when I left that is still missing. I really miss waking up to that earthy fresh rain smell in my kitchen and I hope it comes back soon. That was the biggest sign to me that I had achieved the perfect balance in the vermicompost. Yes, my worms are still in my kitchen in and I plan to keep them there. When the balance is right in the bin it acts like an air freshener (in my opinion.)

My herbs are doing great and need to be replanted soon. My green onions are growing faster than I can harvest and I'm about due to start another round of veges to keep the cycle going. I'm just thankful I was only gone a few days or I might have been in worse shape.

Parsley looking very pleased.

Rearing Radishes

Recycled Paper Towel Tube

The 6th of this month (6/6) I planted 6 Radishes, 4 carrots, and 3 spinach in recycled cardboard cylinders. On the 9th the radishes sprouted. Carrots are slow to germinate and the spinach I expect any day. I was very pleased to see the first little radish poke it's head out so quickly. It looked vibrant and full of life catching the rays of the morning sun.

Radish Sprout

My other herbs are looking lovely despite being dropped yet again during an attempt to open a window. Luckily they are rooted well enough now to keep themselves mostly in place. The chives that were so slow to sprout are now so tall I had to move them out of the greenhouse. I decided to move the basil and parsley too so I could store my little plastic container for later use.

Chive Basil Parsley

I'm feeling Green Onions

Green Onions growing in water

I bought some green onions the other day while I was getting groceries. I love anything in the onion family for cooking. I had seen where people were keeping their store bought green onions in a glass jar with just some water to keep them going. It's a really neat trick if you use green onions on a near daily basis like I do. You simply put the remainder of the white ends with the roots in a vase with water like you would flowers and change the water / trim off any dead parts every other day. I keep 2-3 inches of water in the vase for them and they give me about 3/4 cup of the green tops every week.

Nothing beats fresh!!!

 

 

Green Onion Roots in a vase

This is Home for now   :)

I've Got Worms

I'm so happy and excited I'm giddy today! All because my mother in law sent me worms from her vermicompost to start mine. My husband walked in with worms (red wrigglers - Eisenia fetida) wrapped in shredded paper and balled up inside 3 plastic bags. I immediately unwrapped them and layed the mass on top of the bed I had prepared for them. I poked around a bit to see if I could find the worms and I did but they quickly burrow into the bedding when the light hits them so they aren't visible long enough for a good photo. Here are my next step by step instructions on preparing a vermicompost.

Fill cleaned plastic bins with water and let soak for a few hours

1. After obtaining my two drawer plastic storage container I washed it with some lemon window cleaner and then rinsed both drawers. I wanted to make sure the plastic didn't have any chemicals or foreign matter since I bought them used so I filled both drawers with water and let them soak in my tub for several hours.

You can see how I did the holes in the bottom of the drawers in this picture.

2. I dried my plastic drawers once I was sure they were clean and grabbed my rotary tool for the next step. The top of both drawers is open to the air so I eliminated the holes on the sides that most plastic totes say to make. Instead I made two 1/2" wide by 5" long cuts in the bottom for drainage and to act as a portal when I'm ready to migrate my worms. I also drilled 4 small holes around these just to be sure I have enough airflow.

Arrange cardboard in your drawers anywhere light might come in.

3. Once I had the holes in the bottom of the drawers I cut up a cardboard box and line the clear plastic with it anywhere I thought light might come in. Worms don't like light so giving them a dark drawer to live in will make them happier and less likely to escape.

I shredded enough paper to fill the drawer 1/3 when wet.

4. My next step was to prepare plenty of shredded paper which acts like bedding for the worms. I don't have a shredder so that nice pile in the picture was cut by hand. If you have access to a shredder I would recommend that but cutting by hand isn't too bad if you have sharp scissors. Another trick is to fold the paper in half a couple times so that it takes fewer cuts to make one strip.

The paper bedding is moist but not soggy.

5. I added the shredded paper a little at a time so that I could wet each layer with a water bottle. I used a bottle with a sport type lid on it so that I could spray the paper faster than a mister but not as fast as just dumping water right on. I used a bunch of junk mail I had laying around (provided it was the non-glossy paper), scraps of paper I had jotted notes on, dry paper towels (clean - no meat, chemicals, or fat on them), and a few brown paper bags. I think having diversity in the compost will create a higher quality end product.


6. This damp paper bedding was left overnight (I wanted it ready before the worms arrived) to allow all the pieces to come to an even moisture level. The next morning I added a little more water since the top felt drier than when I went to bed. I had a couple handfuls of soil to add to the top since worms need "grit" to help digest what they eat. I'm holding off on adding food until I'm sure I created a proper environment that will aid their reproduction. My fear is that if I add food before the worms are acclimated to my bin then the food will start to rot and attract other pests.

Closeup of moist paper bedding with a handful of soil on top.

7. When the worms arrived I simply unwrapped the plastic holding them in a wad and laid the mass on top of my moist shredded paper. I spread the wad o' worms out a bit and left the drawer open so the light in the room would drive them into the bedding I had made. I was a bit worried since I had read that worms can sometimes crawl out of their bin and my compost bin is still in my kitchen, but I haven't seen any escape artists yet. I figured my kitchen was actually a good place to start them for a variety of reasons. I always leave the light on in the kitchen which is a great way to discourage the worms from leaving the drawer, the temperature is always around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and the floor is linoleum in case I have a mess.


8. The last step in the setup of a worm compost is just to maintain it. Check it regularly to see that the moisture is appropriate and the temperature is right. It is recommended that you feed them your kitchen scraps about once a week. Remember that worms are basically vegan and won't eat any meat, dairy, or fat and adding these things will cause a foul odor and attract pests.



In the coming weeks I will post more on this topic. I plan to give more info on the length of time it takes to establish my vermicompost as well as time to complete one bin. I would like to observe what the worms prefer to eat and give instructions on making a "holding bin" from mostly recycled materials. The holding bin will give me a place under the kitchen sink to store food scraps for the worms without letting off odor.

Eternally Busy

This is just a quick update on my plants. The herb garden is still doing great. The Basil is almost 2" tall, the chives are over 2" tall, and the parsley is starting to thicken up and look like a little bush of sprouts. I have had to start watering once a day now since the plants are getting big enough to drink more.

My planters are coming along nice. I have an ample supply of 2-liters already washed and cut, now I just need to find the time to string them together. I have been getting old bras from family members to make more planters with and thankfully the rest of my family is a little better endowed so I should have some in sizes big enough to grow more than just herbs.

I still need to make time in my schedule to get a bag of soil and seeds. I will need to do that in a week or so to ensure I can transplant my herbs on time. Plants that don't get moved to a bigger pot become root bound and won't grow well. Sometimes this is used as a tool to keep a plant at a size that the grower likes such as a Bonsai Tree. I will be trying to avoid root bound plants though since I want to maximize my yield.

The nice thing about gardening is that you can take your time. Nothing grows overnight so there's rarely a need to panic. As long as I check on my garden everyday it will give me plenty of warning when it needs something.

Vermiculture: Preperations

I bought my vermiculture container the other night. It was $5.99 at the Arc for a two drawer plastic container on wheels. I made sure the drawers were the same size so that I can fit them both in either the top or bottom slot without a problem. I specifically wanted something with 2 drawers to make it easy for me to migrate the worms from the first bin to the second when I am ready. I also think I can get into a routine where one drawer is in process while the other is finished and ready for my use.

From one of my favorite blogs: Electric Tree House

To prepare the composter I started by washing it with a mild cleaner (like Windex). I did this to make sure the drawers didn't have any mystery particles from the former owner. After the drawers dried I placed them in my bathtub and filled them with water for several hours to remove the traces of cleaner and anything else from the plastic. I will pour this water out and repeat the step again at least once more just to be safe. This way I'm not worried about what used to be in the drawers or could've gotten onto them before they came to me.

Once I was sure my worm drawers were clean I started making holes for ventilation. Airflow is key to keeping the worms alive and the food from rotting (which causes odors). I prepared the bins in a manner that will encourage downward migration. For this I used a small rotary tool (though a larger drill would have been nice) and cut 2 long 1/2 inch wide slots and 4 small 1/4" holes in the bottom of the drawers. I can put a piece of cardboard over the slots to keep the worms in the bin until they are ready to migrate to the next bin. The clear front and back of the drawers will be lined with cardboard as well to keep light out. If it works like I envision then the worms will slowly eat the cardboard until it is gone and then they will be able to move down into the new drawer with fresh bedding and food.

I have a small tray to put under the drawers to catch the worm juice that comes out the bottom and I will be able to use that as a fertilizer. When I have things in full production the top drawer will have finished compost that I can just reach in and use while the lower drawer is in progress. This combination of worm tea fertilizer and vermiculture compost should have a very positive effect on my plants and allow me to send less waste to the landfill.

Friendly Worm Guy

As for a source of worms... Most places I have looked want $20 for half a pound of worms. Worms reproduce quickly (red wrigglers do so within 45-60 days according to other sites) so I don't feel I need the full amount to start. As a frugal grower I determined I would find someone with worms that would trade with me for something I have. To my astonished luck my in-laws came to visit yesterday and said they have plenty of worms they will give me in trade for some of my art. I am thrilled! Hand painted cards for worms sounds like a great trade to me!

The running total spent is still around $10 and with my soil coupon I believe I can start my first round of vegetables for under $20. I think my first round of indoor veges will take more time and effort but a comparable amount of expense to those I would buy in the store. The subsequent rounds will start to cost me less as I get everything set up.

More good sites I found to read on composting with worms:
Pure Green Living
Sierra Worm Compost
Vermidragon

Parsley Joins the Party

Yesterday I noticed my first parsley sprout peeking over the top of the soil after my little mishap. It was still just a tiny little green loop that would go unnoticed to someone not interested in the daily progress of my plants. Today I woke up to see 3 strong sprouts looking ferocious and ready to grow. This progress pleases me as I didn't expect the parsley to start this quick. Everything I had read before this said that parsley was hard to start and took lots of patience. The average time for germination was 3-4 weeks and mine accomplished the arduous task in less than 2 weeks!

My basil is looking great, like a little green bush sitting on top of the soil. I can't wait to transplant it in a few weeks! I imagine my chives will be ready at the same time too and if I'm lucky my compost pile will be ready shortly after. I still water every other day but that will probably change by the end of this week.

I estimate I will need around $5 for a small bag of basic soil and that I will need it in roughly 1-2 weeks. When I buy soil I don't look for fancy stuff with this and that added. I look for something that is "well-drained" or has a low content of vermiculite (the tiny white pebbles) already in it. Well drained soil is important as it helps prevent the plants from damping off if you over water. I know I will have to water more often at the start than I will once my compost is being added. The compost will not only add vital nutrients for the plants but will improve the soil structure allowing it to hold more water without smothering the roots of the plants.

I bought my worm bin yesterday too and will write a separate blog later on how I am preparing it for my worms. As the sign at the thrift store said, "Put the earth first and buy second." Not only did I save money buying a pre-loved container but I saved that much space in the landfill too!

The running total for my garden supplies so far:
     $4.07 for seeds and starter soil
     $6.41 (with tax) for a worm bin
=  $10.48